Mapping of the komplex elastic modulus of microstructured polymer samples

• Applicants: Privatdozent Dr. Brunero Cappella; Professor Dr.-Ing. Cameron Tropea, since 2/2014
• Subject Area: Experimental and Theoretical Physics of Polymers
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 227967696

A better understanding of basic phenomena in the nanoscience and the development of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies implies the investigation of the mechanical properties of polymers at the nanoscale. This is valid also for polymers which are employed in several fields of the nanotechnology. To this aim only instruments with a spatial resolution in the submicrometer scale can be used, e.g. the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and the nanoindenter.Important drawbacks for the quantitative determination of the mechanical properties with both instruments, i.e. most of all the application of the theory of Oliver and Pharr for the nanoindenter and the lack of knowledge of the geometry of the tip for the AFM, will be resolved at the beginning of this project through the comparison of the measurements.The core of the project is the development and validation of the force-modulation-technique as a measuring technique with submicrometer spatial resolution for the determination and the mapping of the loss modulus. The results obtained with the AFM and with the nanoindenter will be compared with other established techniques, e.g. the Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA).Owing to its unique resolution at the nanoscale, the AFM is predestinated for the investigation and the mapping of the local properties of inhomogeneous polymer samples. The investigation and determination of the spatial resolution attainable with the force-modulation-technique and the determination of the loss modulus of thin polymer films, microstructurerd polymer blends and copolymers is the aim of the end stage of the project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Person: Dr. Michael Griepentrog
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Privatdozent Dr. Elmar Bonaccurso, from 7/2012 until 2/2014